The secret programs with lots of money little oversight, and the normal bureaucratic inertia. Plus, people in that realm like to play political games where they

The secret programs with lots of money little oversight, and the normal bureaucratic inertia. Plus, people in that realm like to play political games where they imply that they have access and power to things other people aren't even allowed to know the names of the programs. Secret squirrel stuff goes to their heads. "Major Dumbass is researching what?" "Well we didn't have any actual useful work for him so we figured this was harmless"